Connector



J. R. C. QUILTER March 17,1942.

CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 25. 1940 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 CONNECTOR John Raymond Cuthbert Quilter, Woking, England Application August 23, 1940, Serial N0. 353,945 In Great Britain September 29, 1939 7 Claims. 151. 24-234) This invention relates to detachable-connectors for rings, shackles or the like, the connector being mounted, for example, upon a-strap, such as the lift straps of safety parachutes for aircraft pilots or passengers, whilethe ring or shackle forms part of the harness worn by the pilot or passenger.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a connector which afiords great security and facility both of engagement and of release, the connector being operable by=a single hand so that a pilot can readily engage or release the connectors of both lift straps simultaneously; another object is to provide a connectorwhich engages and releases in a semi-automatic manher, the initial manual operation being followed automatically by the final engagement or disengagement.

A further object of the invention isto provide a connector having a locking device which can be set or released by the thumb and finger of the hand grasping the connector in order to effect the initial manual operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, given with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved connector, showing a shackle engaged therewith.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the connector.

Figs. 3 and 4 are corresponding views of the connector with the hinged jaw open.

Fig. 5 represents in part sectional elevation a device for locking the connector.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the connector.

Fig 7 is a detail showing a modification of the tongue or tenon of the movable jaw.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the connector is mount ed upon a parachute lift strap a and is detachably engaged with a shackle b mounted-upon a harness strap 0, the connector comprising a T- shaped end portion d having a slot e for the attachment of the lift strip a. At the extremity remote from the strap mounting, the connector comprises two recessed jaws f, a, hinged to one another at h, the main jaw f being fast with the slotted portion d; these two jaws normally lie one over the other, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, with their complementary recesses f 9 enclosing the end of the shackle b.

The central portion or stem 2' of the connector is fitted with a movable ferrule 7 slidable longitudinally along th stem and adapted to engage the end of the movable jaw 9, so as to retain the jaws in normal position of engagement with the-shackle b. The ferrule a is preferably milled or grooved to facilitate the grip of the useris fingers, and mounted around the stem 2', the lat? ter being made of approximately semi-circular section adjacent to the jaw f; the hingedojaw g is also made with a tip g ofapproximately semicircular section over which theferrule engages to hold the two semi-circular parts. together. Upon the flat face of thesemi-circular tip g there is provided (as seen in Figs. 3 and 4-) a bevelled tongue or tenon k which engages in a corresponding slot or mortise .Z in theflat faceof the stem 2' When the hook is closed, thebevelled edge of the tongue or tenon is acting to force back the ferrule :i against: its spring when the hook is being closed, as indicated in chain lines in Fig. 4; the ferrule then engagesautomatically over the tipg of the movable jaw with a snap action.

The ferrule 7' may also be given a part-rotary movement so as to lock the connector by means of a bayonet catch or like device, such as a peg 0 inside the ferrule engaging in an L-shaped slot 0 upon the stem 1, as illustrated inuFig. 5, such part-rotary movement being imparted. to the ferrule by the finger and thumb of the hand grasping the connector; if desired, the bayonet slot 0 may be made doubleeended. so as to allow oflocking the ferrule in either the engaged or the free position.

' As shown in Fig. 6, the stem of the connector is divided, one part i forming a nut integral with the slotted end portion d and the other part i being integral with the main jaw 1; this part i is of a diameter to fit easily inside the inwardly fianged end 9' of the ferrule engaged by the spring 121. but is provided with a part-circular facing 11 against which the ferrule end i abuts,

a complementary part-circular facing 9 being provided adjacent tothe tip g of the movable jaw. The part i is also provided with a screwthreaded extremity i adaptedto engage the nut i; after the ferrule 7' and its 'coiled sprin g 45 have been fitted around the portion i the two parts of the stem can be screwed together and locked by a grub-screw n or the like.

The complementary recesses f 0 in the two jaws may be formed by two semi-circular notches in the fiat faces of the main and hinged jaws, the outer edges of the notches being bevelled or rounded off if desired to allow freedom of movement of the connected ring, shackle or the like; one edge of the notch in the main jaw is preferably bevelled as shown at f so as to make it tangential to the eyes of the hinge, the tangent closing movement, a stem fast with one of said jaws, a member slidable along said stem, said slidable member engaging in one extreme position of its sliding movement with the free end of the other of said jaws and being disengaged urging said ferrule towards said hinge, said cam element acting to shift said ferrule away from said hinge against the action of said spring during the closing movement of said jaws, and said ferrule engaging with said projection to secure said jaws in closed position as it returns towards said hinge under the action of said spring.

5. A connector comprising two jaws, a hinge for relative opening and closing movement of said jaws, a stem extending from the free end of one of said jaws, a projection from the free end of the other of said jaws, said stem being recessed to receive said projection in the closed position of said jaws, a cam element upon said from said free end as it approaches the opposite extreme position of its sliding movement, said free end including an element acting to shift said member away from said engaging position as said jaws approach one another in closing movement and having an interlocking engagement with the stem when the jaws are closed, and a spring urging said member to said engaging position.

. 2. A connector for detachable connection of a shackle-like member, comprising two jaws be- .tween which said member can be engaged, a

hinge for relative opening and closing movement of said jaws, a mounting stem fast with one of said jaws, a ferrule slidable along said stem to engage with the other of said jaws, and a spring urging said ferrule to engaging position, the other of said jaws including a cam element acting to shift said ferrule away from said engaging position as said jaws approach one another in closing movement and having an interlocking engagement with the stem when the jaws are closed.

3. A connector comprising two jaws, a hinge for relative opening and closing movement of said jaws, a stem extending from one of said jaws in a direction away from said hinge, a projection from the other of said jaws in a direction away from said hinge, a member slidable along said stem, spring means for sliding said member towards said hinge, a cam element integral with said projection and adapted to force said member away from said hinge during the closing movement of said jaws, said member subsequently engaging with said projection as it approaches said hinge in the closed position of said jaws, and means for locking said member against sliding movement, said sliding member having a limited rotary movement for operating the locking means.

4. A connector comprising two jaws, a hinge for relative opening and closing movement of said jaws, a stem extending from one of said jaws in a direction away from said hinge, a projection from the other of said jaws in a direction away from said hinge, a ferrule slidable along said stem, a cam element upon said other jaw and having an interlocking engagement with the stem when the jaws are closed, and a spring projection, said cam element forming a tenon which enters a mortise in said stem to locate said projection in relation to said stem during the closing movement of said jaws and forming an interlocking connection between the projection and the stem, a ferrule slidable along said stem and over said projection when occupying said recess, and a spring urging saidferrule along said stem and over said recess, said cam element acting to shift said ferrule away from said recess during the closing movement of said jaws, and said ferrule engaging over said projection as it returns under the action of said spring after said projection has been located in relation to said stem in the closed position of said jaws.

6. A connector comprising two jaws, a hinge connecting said jaws for relative opening and closing movement, a stem fast with one of said jaws, a ferrule slidable and partly rotatable upon saidstem, said ferrule engaging in one position of its sliding movement with the free end of the other of said jaws and being carried into and out of engagement with said other jaw by said sliding movement, a spring urging said ferrule to said engaging position, and a .bayonet catch device for locking said ferrule in said engaging position, said bayonet catch device being controlled by part rotation of said ferrule upon said stem while said ferrule remains engaged with the free end of said other jaw.

'7. A connector of the character described, comprising two jaws, a hinge for relative pivotal movement of said jaws, a ferrule slidable along oneofsaid jaws towards and away from said hinge, a projection upon the other of said jaws at the end remote from said hinge, said projection engaging said ferrule to slide it away from said hinge as said jaws are moved to closed' position andbeing engageable by said ferrule to secure said jaws in closed position as said ferrule slides towards said hinge, interengaging means for locating said projection in relation to said one jaw as said jaws are moved to closed position, and means for locking said ferrule against sliding movement away from said hinge,

said ferrule having a limited rotary movement for operating said locking means after sliding towards said hinge.

JOHN RAYMOND CUTHBER'I' QUILTER. 

